Matt. 16
1And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 2He answered them,”When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4 , but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.”
(The sign of Jonah which Jesus cites in verse 4, may refer to two of the prophet’s experiences. Most of us know that Jonah lived in the belly of the whale for three days until he repented of his sin of disobedience and once again found favour in God’s sight.)
Why Does this super smart Bible God not perform miracles
by confusedandalone 68 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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caliber
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cofty
Most of us know that Jonah lived in the belly of the whale for three days
Please tell me you don't mean this literally.
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jam
I saw a boxing match where the winner had just beat the crap
out of his opponent. He fell to his knees and thank God for his victory.
Now that was a miracle, I had a wager on the winner.
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caliber
Most of us know that Jonah lived in the belly of the whale for three days
Please tell me you don't mean this literally.~~ cofty
I would think it unwise to try and tell you anything
but here are some known points as outlined in the Bible
A Mediterranean storm, both summoned and dissipated by God (1:4-16).
• A massive fish, appointed by God to swallow the prophet after he was thrown into the sea by his ship’s crew (1:17).
• Jonah’s survival in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights, or his resurrection from the dead after being vomited upon the shore,
depending on how you interpret the text (1:17).
If Jesus words' not enough validation I am afraid my thoughts or idea's rank much lower.. I am not sure you even believe in the historic Jesus.
Here is an observation of another writer...
As for Jonah’s success in Nineveh, Orientalist Henry Clay Trumbull made a valid point when he wrote, “What better heralding, as a divinely sent messenger to Nineveh, could Jonah have had, than to be thrown up out of the mouth of a great fish, in the presence of witnesses, say on the coast of Phoenicia, where the fish-god was a favorite object of worship? Such an incident would have inevitably aroused the mercurial nature of Oriental observers, so that a multitude would be ready to follow the seemingly new avatar of the fish-god, proclaiming the story of his uprising from the sea, as he went on his mission to the city where the fish-god had its very centre of worship” (H. Clay Trumbull, “Jonah in Nineveh.” Journal of Biblical Literature, Vol. 2, No.1, 1892, p. 56).
As for the city of Nineveh, it was rediscovered in the 19th century after more than 2,500 years of obscurity. It is now believed to have been the largest city in the world at the time of its demise (see Tertius Chandler's Four Thousand Years of Urban Growth: An Historical Census
It is interesting to note where the lost city of Nineveh was rediscovered. It was found buried beneath a pair of tells in the vicinity of Mosul in modern-day Iraq. These mounds are known by their local names, Kuyunjik and Nabi Yunus. Nabi Yunus happens to be Arabic for “the Prophet Jonah.” The lost city of Nineveh was found buried beneath an ancient tell named after the Prophet Jonah. -
cofty
I am not sure you even believe in the historic Jesus.
No I don't think I would.
Your biblical literalism cripples the beauty that is in the bible. Jonah is a wonderful story - it is a polemic against xenophobia.
The real miracle in the story is the instant repentance of Nineveh. It is equivilent to saying all the Taliban got baptised.
Jonah is pi$$ed off that god didn't go through with the threat to kill everybody and sulked over the death of a plant.
It was a work of a post-exile genius who was probably motivated by the disgusting zeal of Ezra & co.
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caliber
It was a work of a post-exile genius who was probably motivated by the disgusting zeal of Ezra & co.
Please tell me you have proof to back this up or should I just go on faith ?
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cofty
Just take it on faith and thank me for freeing you from the need to go on believing in the magic fish.
You're welcome.
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unstopableravens
cofty: i really want to meet you in person.
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cofty
If you ever get over the pond I will buy you a pint unstop.
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unstopableravens
after all of our talks ill need more than a pint lol